VALS-ASLA Confrence 2008, Lugano, February 7-9

Deadline for proposals was 15 October 2007. Notification of acceptance or rejection will be sent out by 12 November. Deadline for the registration: 21 December 2007

Changing societies: methodological challenges for applied linguistics

At a time when societal changes such as the globalisation of spaces, the circulation of goods, the mobility of individuals, and the spread of new technologies occupy increased importance in the spheres of social life (economic, political, educational), questions arise as to the impact of such changes on linguistic practices, thus presenting a central challenge to the field of applied linguistics.

The ever increasing mobility of people and circulation of goods in a globalised marketplace trigger new language needs and practices. Consequently, new realities are emerging from the contact between contemporary forms of language and culture, which are tied to migration and trade, as well as computer-mediated communication practices. The field of applied linguistics is confronted with these phenomena today, which constitute methodological challenges for our discipline and raise fundamental questions about our research practices.

The VALS-ASLA conference aims to interrogate these ongoing changes by focusing specifically on concomitant methodological challenges. In this regard, we invite all interested scholars to submit papers and panel proposals related to the following domains:

- Teaching and learning of languages;- Globalisation and multilingualism;- Migration, transnationalism and language practices;- Languages at work;- Transfer of knowledge.